Olive Oil, COX inhibition & Ayurveda ….

Ever wonder what is up with that stinging sensation in the back of your throat after ingesting olive oil?? Many olive oil connoisseurs have long considered the immediate tickle in the back of the throat a mark of high quality olive oil.

The concept that the taste of foods (or any plant) correlates to its chemical properties has been long considered in Ayurvedic medicine. For thousands of years Ayurvedic doctors have correlated Rasa (‘taste’, though more accurately defined as the entire subjective experience of eating) to pharmacologic activity of plants. Now, modern research backs them up.

It has been known since first reported by Beauchamp et al (2005), that both ibuprofin and a compound found in olive oil, oleocanthal, though not bearing much resemblance structurally, block cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes.

The role of COX enzymes in promoting inflammation in the body, and inhibition of the COX pathway by oleocanthal can help us to understand some of the benefits of consuming olive oil.

Recalling the above reference to Ayurveda, one may recognize that liquid ibuprofen and olive oil both produce a similar stinging sensation in the back of the throat. (I’ve never taken liquid ibuprofen – have any of you experienced this??) This observation was recently explained at the molecular level by Gary K. Beauchamp and his colleagues. They state that the COX-inhibiting compounds in ibuprofen and olive oil selectively activate a very specific sensory protein called ‘transient receptor potential cation channel A1 (TRPA1)’ which is located in the back of the throat.

Thus, it seems that the 5,000 year old Ayurvedic concept ‘Rasa’ may have hinted toward important benefits of the consumption of olive oil throughout one’s lifetime: reduced overall inflammation and risk of heart disease. (Its like taking an NSAID a day … without the side effects of gastric bleeding.)

And some final thoughts on olive oil in general. For starters, don’t heat it. It becomes a carcinogen once exposed to high heat. Store olive oil in a cool, dark place. The fats and phytonutrients in olive oil, and also the taste, can slowly degrade over time, so it’s good practice to use it within a year once opened. And last but not least – appreciate the burning sensation in the back of your throat! I’ve recently learned to. Beauchamp stated ‘that the irritation is thought to be a hallmark of premium olive oils, and in taste tests, people raised in Mediterranean cultures do not mind the sting, on average, as much as Americans do. It’s possible that people unconsciously come to equate the sensation with nutritional or health benefits, which lessens olive oil’s sting, so to speak.’

Let me know how it goes ….. happy Friday! (Sort of, I know I personally will be sitting in board review class literally all weekend. Sigh.)

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3 thoughts on “Olive Oil, COX inhibition & Ayurveda ….”

Very Interesting, Cuz! One thing I feel you’ve got wrong that has been misconstrued a lot lately–You can absolutely heat olive oil! All the cultures that have eaten olive oil as major parts of their diets for a long, long time use it as their primary oil for cooking as well as eating it raw. You just shouldn’t use it for deep-frying, or any other cooking technique that would take it beyond it’s smoke point of approx. 300-450 degrees F, depending. It is true that less-refined, higher quality olive oils may have a lower smoke point, but this varies greatly. But–here’s the thing–It is obvious when you have heated oil beyond its smoke point! You can see the separation occur in the pan and you can smell the burning smell. All oils brought to this point are not healthy to ingest, so I’m not sure why olive oil is getting a bad rap! To me it’s kind of like all the negative press mercury in fish has gotten that it’s lead people to fear eating fish, which is already very under-represented in the average American diet, and, like olive oil, is a very important source of essential fatty acids!! Eat your olive oil every day! Use it liberally to saute veggies and proteins and just don’t walk away from your pan with nothing else in it!